As the Managing Partner of South West law firm Stephens Scown LLP, I was confronted with the challenge of turning a demotivated work force around. An employee survey had shown us that people were feeling unappreciated. They felt like their work did not matter. They felt like the partners didn’t care.

One of the ways we started to change things was encouraging partners to say thank you. We had some positive postcards made and encouraged partners to write notes to colleagues for a job well done. A small thing? Yes, but it made a big impact.

The idea really took off and people across the firm started taking part, using the cards to say thank you to colleagues who had helped them out. Soon people’s desks were covered with colourful displays of the positive postcards they had received.

It was the start of a culture change in the firm, where everyone, regardless of their title or perceived seniority, was valued and listened to. This small thing – along with many others – paved the way for Stephens Scown’s transition to employee ownership. It was the first large law firm to become employee owned, breaking the mould for the legal sector by sharing profits equally among eligible employees.

I was managing partner of Stephens Scown for eight years and my vision was to create a different kind of law firm. And the vision worked; profits doubled and the firm won countless awards, including UK Law Firm of the Year at the British Legal Awards and a trio of awards from the Managing Partners’ Forum – Best Managed National Firm, Best Leadership of a Mould-breaking Firm and Best Corporate Culture. Employee engagement turned around and the firm entered the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For list, where it has ranked for the six consecutive years.

When I stepped down as Managing Partner of Stephens Scown, I took up the role of Director of Strategic Innovation for the firm, where I focus on the customer experience, looking outside the legal sector and embracing new and exciting ways of delivering traditional legal services.

I’ve also brought my desire to do things differently to my other roles, on the boards of nuBright, a joint venture company delivering data protection and cyber security services, Vickery Holman, a regional commercial property consultant firm, Exeter Festival of South West food and Drink, New Wine, and Hope for Justice, an anti-trafficking and modern slavery charity.

In my spare time you will find me hitting the lanes of East Devon and Dartmoor on my bike.